Now that you understand the general features of what a possum looks like, here’s how to tell which specific type of possum is lurking in your backyard:

Common brushtail possum

Although there are 5 main species of brushtail possums in South Australia, the common brushtail possum is by far the most established household pest. Well adapted to urban environments, you’re most likely to see or hear common brushtail possums scampering across your roof at night.
Covered with short silvery-grey fur on their backs and sides and darker tufts around their head, their bellies often have creamy pale fur. Weighing up to 4kg and growing up to 55cm long, common brushtail possums are usually the size of a small cat.
 Considered to be omnivorous, their diet consists of a variety of plants and sometimes even small lizards and insects.

Common ringtail possum

Known for their distinct, white-tipped prehensile tails which act as a fifth limb to firmly grasp tree branches, common ringtail possums are experts at climbing and jumping. For this reason, they tend to prefer living in dense bush or foliage rather than a built-up urban area, however, they are extremely adaptable and have been observed living in metropolitan backyards.

Their coat is typically grey-brown coloured, becoming whitish in colour around their bellies. Smaller in size than brushtail possums, common ringtail possums grow up to 35cm long and weigh around 1kg.

As herbivores, they will generally prefer eating eucalyptus leaves, herbs, flowers, rose buds and seeds, with the occasional piece fruit or exotic plants.

Noisy, messy and disruptive possums are a nuisance at bedtime for adults and children alike. You can take the following steps to make your home less possum-friendly:

Regular yard maintenance

Trim vegetation back so that it comes no closer than 1.5m from your home. This includes overhanging branches, shrubs, flowers and bushes. Consider erecting mesh fencing around your veggie patch to keep hungry possums away.

Identify and seal all roof access points

Broken or dislodged roof tiles, vents and cracks, gaps or holes in your roof provide easy entry sites for possums to come inside. We recommended fixing or covering these vulnerable spots quickly to prevent possums from discovering them first.

Removing food and water sources

If you have a eucalyptus tree in your yard, chances are that there may be possums hanging around as they love munching on the leaves. However, they will eat leaves, fruit and flowers from other native and exotic trees, so it’s important to be mindful of which plants you choose to populate your garden. Minimising sources of fresh water in your yard, such as ponds, pet bowls or bird baths can also deter thirsty possums from visiting.

In Australia, possums are deemed to be protected wildlife in the Wildlife Act 1975, making it illegal to trap them without a special government-issued Trap and Release permit. If caught, you could potentially face a $5000 penalty.

However, Allstate is always here to help you. Our pest control technicians are all fully licensed to handle possums using safe and humane practices.

We’ll first confirm whether you have possums in your roof, and potentially even identify the species as our technicians have extensive knowledge of the behaviour and what each species of possum looks like. We’ll then locate all entry points and either install one-way doors or seal them off.

Following this, we’ll place cage traps with bait near the main entry points to capture the pest possums. Your technician will check these traps every day to ensure the welfare of any trapped live possums.

The possums will then be released to a new nesting box that has been setup within 50m of your home, as per guidelines.

To finish off, we know how messy possums can be, so we’ll make sure to clean and disinfect your roof space thoroughly to remove all traces of possum pheromone markers, and discourage them from ever returning to your roof.